The speed with which Steve popped out of his chair was thoroughly gratifying, Peggy had to admit. She hid a smile and tried not to find his blush too distracting, though it was difficult to overlook how very red his ears were. It would be rude to pluck at the tip of one to see if it felt as hot as it looked, and yet it was such a tempting idea. Fortunate that she had solid impulse control, or she might’ve caused a bit of an incident right then because no way did touching Steve while he was trying to chivvy everything back into the refrigerator not result in a mess in the floor.
Then they’d only be delayed again while he cleaned and apologized, and she’d have to apologize, and they’d be right back to awkwardness that could easily be avoided with a little care. So Peggy waited, even if her patience was slightly imperfect in the face of that suggestion. She smiled in turn, a purposefully sly twist of red lips, and offered a cheeky, “I might just as that.”
She wanted to, even, and they did have privacy here. This wasn’t a hotel full of prying, expectant eyes. It wasn’t the Capitol at all. It was Steve’s place, and not even the one in Victor’s Village, which meant no one could possibly be looking for either of them here. Idly she wondered about neighbors and how thin the walls might be, but was then distracted by how he caught her up and pulled her close. That, she decided, was a much nicer thing to think about anyway; the way she fit against him, and the press of his lips against her cheek.
“I’ll always come,” she assured, a little more somber than the moment called for, but entirely sincere. If Steve asked, she’d come. It wasn’t a question. No matter her confusion or uncertainty, she couldn’t turn on the silent treatment or the avoidance patterns some people preferred. Peggy tackled problems head on and she didn’t turn her back on a friend. She certainly didn’t do it to someone she considered more than a friend at this point, and she reached to gingerly brush fingertips along the outermost edges of his bruised eye. “Now, I believe I said something about kissing.”